McIntosh MC2000 (1999–2000)
Eight KT88s, 135 pounds of stainless and titanium-gold, and a 50th-birthday present McIntosh only built 500 of.
Overview
The MC2000 is a two-channel vacuum tube power amplifier that McIntosh built in 1999 and 2000 to mark its 50th anniversary. It is a limited edition. Sources suggest only around 500 units were produced. This is not a regular-production McIntosh that happened to be expensive. It is a commemorative flagship, and the used market prices it that way.
The design carries the fingerprints of Sidney Corderman, the engineer behind the MC275. According to available documentation, Corderman's brief was to fold five decades of McIntosh tube practice into a single statement product. The result draws on lessons from both the C22 and the MC275 while pushing the circuit technology forward. The amplifier is rated at 130 watts per channel into 2, 4, or 8 ohm loads, and the rating holds across all three taps. That comes from McIntosh's output-transformer approach.
The packaging is unusual even among anniversary pieces. The manual's repacking instructions are emphatic: the vacuum tubes and tube cover must be removed and shipped separately from the amplifier, and the four feet must be attached so they seat into the bottom foam pad. The manufacturer is telling you, in writing, that this amplifier is heavy and fragile in transit. Owners report the amplifier alone weighs 135 pounds (61.2 kg) net, with 144 pounds (65.3 kg) in the shipping carton and another 18 pounds (8.2 kg) of accessories.
Key Features
Unity Coupled Circuit with Bifilar-Wound Output Transformers
The MC2000 uses McIntosh's patented Unity Coupled Circuit, paired with bifilar-wound output transformers. This topology lets the amplifier deliver its rated power into 2, 4, or 8 ohm loads without the listener worrying about matching. The manual rates the amplifier at 130 watts minimum sine wave continuous average power per channel, 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, with both channels driven. Frequency response at one watt is specified at +0, -0.25 dB from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, extending to +0, -3 dB from 10 Hz to 100,000 Hz. Distortion is held to 0.5% maximum THD at any level from 250 milliwatts to rated power, and intermodulation distortion is likewise capped at 0.5%. Those are not the tiny numbers a modern solid-state designer would chase, but they are honest tube-amplifier figures, and the bandwidth is wide for a tube design of this vintage.
Dual-Mono Construction on a Single Chassis
The MC2000 is a single box laid out as a dual-mono design, with separate channel circuitry sharing one chassis. The benefit is channel separation and less crosstalk between left and right. The manual lists input impedance at 20k ohms unbalanced via RCA phono jacks, and 40k ohms balanced via XLR connectors. Input sensitivity is switch-selectable: 2.5 volts for rated output, or 1.2 volts for rated output (with 1 volt yielding 100 watts). Damping factor is specified as greater than 18. That is modest by transistor standards, but characteristic of the output-transformer approach, and one of the reasons these amplifiers are said to sound the way they do.
Eight KT88s and Ceramic Sockets with Air-Pipe Cooling
The tube complement is eight KT88 or 6550 output tubes, four 12AX7A input tubes, and two 12AT7 driver tubes. The output tube sockets are ceramic with gold-plated contacts, which the documentation notes provide firm, reliable connections unaffected by atmospheric contamination. The output tube sockets also include Air-Pipe cooling at their bases, which makes sense with eight big bottles heating up a closed chassis. The original tube set that was used to test and confirm each amplifier's performance was shipped in a separate McIntosh MC2000 Tube Set Box, so a complete, original example should include that box. Collectors note that missing tube boxes and accessories are a common reason otherwise clean units fall short of top money.
Stainless Steel and Titanium Gold Finish
The chassis is stainless steel with what McIntosh called a Titanium Gold Super Mirror finish, paired with black transformer enclosures, a black base, and a glass front panel with gold-plated handles and knobs. Dimensions are 17-3/4 inches (45.1 cm) wide by 11 inches (27.9 cm) high, with 18-3/4 inches (47.6 cm) of depth behind the front panel, plus 1-5/8 inches (4.1 cm) of handle clearance in front. Measure the shelf before buying. This one does not tuck into a tight rack.
Inputs and Speaker Connections
Inputs are gold-plated RCA and XLR, and the speaker terminals are heavy-duty binding posts. The manual's notes for service work specify that all voltages are measured with a high-impedance (10 megohm) voltmeter, with AC input at 120 volts, 50/60 Hz.
Historical Context
The MC2000 was released specifically to commemorate McIntosh's 50th anniversary, and the company marketed it as a flagship tribute built around five decades of tube amplifier expertise. The original sales brochure described it as the "New Millennium Edition, Limited Production, Designed by Sidney A. Corderman." Corderman designed the MC275, and the MC2000 is effectively his closing statement on the tube amplifier. Audio (October 1999, p.59) covered the amplifier under the headline "Monumental McIntosh," framing it as a commemorative limited edition that arrived as glowing proof the Golden Age of the Tube was still alive. The model was also reviewed by Stereophile contributing editor Sam Tellig, one of the first critics to evaluate it. Production ran only through 1999 and 2000, and sources suggest roughly 500 units were built worldwide.
Collectibility & Value
The MC2000 sits near the top of the McIntosh collectible hierarchy, and the pricing shows it. The original UK price was £9000.00. Today, units in NOS (New Old Stock) sealed condition have been listed at $29,990.00, and an eBay listing for a sealed NOS example has carried an asking price of $32,090. Described in collector circles as "UBER RARE!", surviving examples in unopened packaging are particularly sought after. A used example was listed at $10,500 after the seller had a full tube replacement performed at an authorized service center, and SkyFi Audio listed one at a sale price of $19,999.00 in July 2023. Overseas, examples have changed hands at RM68k and RM64k. The spread between a used, serviced unit and a sealed NOS unit is enormous.
The known maintenance complaint is specific: the incandescent bulbs in McIntosh gear of this era fail repeatedly, and owners report that replacing them over and over gets expensive. The manual's troubleshooting guidance for tube issues is basic. Inspect tubes for visible damage, reseat them in their sockets, and replace non-functioning tubes. At least one example on the market was sold as a factory-refurbished unit purchased directly from McIntosh, and buyers give that provenance real weight. Anyone shopping for an MC2000 should confirm the tube set box is present, ask whether the tubes are original or replaced, and budget for bulb maintenance. Spare parts availability beyond tubes and bulbs is not well documented, and the amplifier's 135-pound weight makes shipping a genuine logistical problem.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
Related Models
- McIntosh MC1.25KW Power Amplifier (2001)
- McIntosh MC2KW Ultimate Flagship Amplifier (Unknown)
- McIntosh 240
- McIntosh MC-2125 (1976–1981)
- McIntosh MC-2205 (1975–1981)
- Accuphase P 370
- Accuphase p300 (1973)
- Accuphase PE-2217
- Accuphase PS-1200
- Accuphase PS-500